Door actuating mechanism for locomotive tender fuel doors



W. L. LENTZ ET AL May 30, 1939.

DOOR AGTUATING MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDER FUEL DOORS Oiiginal FiledSept. 26, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet l My 30, 1939. w. LENTZ ET AL DOORAGTUATING MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDER FUEL DOORS Original FiledSept. 26, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 30, 1939. w. L. LENTZ ET AL DOORACTUATING MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDER FUEL DOORS Original FiledSept. 26, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet s WM pf w L LENTZ ET AL May 30, 1939.

' noon AGT'JATING MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDER FUEL DOORS OriginalFiled Sept. 26, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 W. L. LENTZ ET AL May 30, 1939.

DOOR ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVE TENDER FUEL DOORS Original FiledSept. 26, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 WIoaM a/I Patented May 30, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFlCE DOOR ACTUATING NIECHANISM FOR- LOCO- MOTIVE TENDERFUEL DOORS William L. Lentz, Tuckahoe, N. Y., and Carl F.

Kantola, Ashtabula,

Ohio, assignors to The New York Central Railroad Company, a 'corporationof New York 10 Claims.

This application is a division of our prior application, Serial No.42,342, filed September 26, 1935, which has matured into U. S. LettersPatent No. 2,148,078, granted February 21, 1939.

This invention relates to fuel inlet doors for locomotive tenders and tomechanism for actuating the same.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel construction andarrangement of fuel inlet doors for closing the coal bunker chargingopening in the top of the tender, and novel and improved means foroperating the doors without the necessity of the fireman or otherattendant climbing upon the top of the tender for this purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide doors which will tightlyclose the fuel charging opening against the access of any undue amountof rain or other water and which are mounted and balanced in a manner tosecure their easy operation.

Still another object of the invention is to provide operating meansaccessible from the gang- Way of the tender, allowing the doors to beoperated from a point below and at the front of the tender in a readyand convenient manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a door actuatingmeans which may be operated by the use of the locomotive grate shakerbar as an operating lever, thus adapting said bar to perform a doublefunction and correspondingly simplifying and reducing the number ofWorking parts of the door actuating mechanism per se.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of thefeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts,hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a locomotive and tender showing alocomotive tender embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of the front portion of the tender atone side of its center line.

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in front end elevation and partly incross-section of the tender.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a section on line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a part of the tender showing a modified type offuel door operating means.

Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 10 is a transverse section through the structure shown in Figs. 8and 9, showing in dotted lines the operation of the door operating meansshown thereby.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 showing another modified type offuel door operating means.

Figs. 12 and 13 are respectively a vertical longitudinal section and avertical transverse section through a part of the tender showing anothermodified type of means for actuating the fuel door operating shaft.

Figs. 14 and 15 are views similar to Figs. 12 and 13 showing a stillfurther modified type of means for actuating the fuel door operatingshaft.

Fig. 16 is a vertical transverse section through the tender showing theuse of fluid pressure means for operating the fuel doors.

Fig. 17 is a section on line I1-I'I of Fig. 16.

Figs. 18, 19 and 20 are Views similar to Figs. 8, 9 and 10 showing theuse of another type of fluid pressure operated means for operating thefuel doors.

Referring now more particularly to the Figs.

1 to 7, inclusive, of the drawings, I designates the locomotive tenderWhich may be of the streamline type disclosed in our aforesaid PatentNo. 2,148,078, adapted for use in connection with the type ofstreamlined loco-motive disclosed therein, or of any other approvedtype. tender comprises a body or tank having the coal bunker or spaceI49 and water cistern or space I50 enclosed by sheet steel side, front,rear and top walls I5I, I52, I53 and I54. Said side walls, front, rearand top walls are formed of sheet steel and are suitably united to eachother and to an interior angle metal framing I55. As shown, the frontwall I52 is provided with a coal gate or outlet I56 for the dischargevof coal from the bunker. The top or roof I54 is provided above thebunker space with coal filling openings adapted to be closed by doorsI51 arranged in transversely alined pairs. Each door I51 comprisesouter. and inner sections 113 and I14 hinged at their meeting edgescentrally of the door, as at I15, the outer edge of the door section I13being hinged to the roof, as at I16, and the outer edge of the door maybe raised and swung outwardly to open position, in which operation thedoor section I13 swings over upon the roof surface and the door sectionI14 over upon the underside of the door section I13, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 5. The hinged edge of the door section I14 may have anextension I18 beyond the hinges I15 to lap over the door section I13 inthe closed As shown the position of the doors to prevent entrance ofsnow and moisture at this point and the adjacent edges of the differentdoors of each series may be arranged to lap for the same purpose.

In the tender structure above described the doors I 51 are adapted to bemanually opened and closed from the top of the tender by means of thehandles I11. In Figs. 8 to 10, inclusive, however, we have shown meansfor operating the doors I51 either by manually operable or by fluidpressure operated power mechanism operated or controlled for operationby means located at the front of the tender and in the gangway betweentender and locomotive. Referring to these figures, which show sets ofoperating devices for respectively simultaneously opening and closingeach door or sets of doors I51 on each side of the center of the tender,it will be seen that a rocker shaft I93 is mounted on the tender beneatheach door or set of the doors I51 at each side of the tender and thateach shaft carries a lifting arm I94 having a sliding slot and pinconnection I94 with the underside of the overlying door section I13,such that rocking movements of the shaft from and back to a normalposition will effect opening and closing movements of the door or doorsI51 connected to its lifting arm, as shown in full and dotted lines inFig. 10. At a suitable point on each shaft I 93 within the tender is aweighted arm I95 which counterbalances the weight of the doors actuatedby said shaft so as to enable it to be easily operated. The forward endof each shaft I93 extends outwardly through the front wall of the tenderand is exposed in the gangway space. On the projecting end of one of theshafts I93 is a toothed wheel or gear I96 which. meshes with a toothedwheel or gear I91 on an operating shaft I98 to which is fixed anoperating arm I99. The arm I99 is adapted to have applied thereto thesocketed end 200 of an operating bar or lever 20I, whereby the shaft I98may be rocked to impart door opening and closing movements to the shaftI93. The lever 201 during this operation may be retained in engagementwith the arm I99by means of a pm 202 passed through a keeper opening inthe arm. The bar or lever 20I may be the ordinary grate shaker bar ofthe locomotive which may be interchangeably used for grate shaking anddoor operating actions. By means of this bar or lever the coal doors oneither side of the longitudinal center of the locomotive may be operatedby applying the lever to operate either shaft I93. If desired, the twoshafts I 93 may be coupled together by connecting means, such ashereinafter described, so that by applying the lever to either shaftboth shafts I93 may be simultaneously rocked to open or close all thedoors I51 simultaneously.

In Fig. 11 we have shown an arrangement similar to that shown in Figs.8, Sand 10 except as to the connecting means between each rock shaftI93a and the doors operated thereby and as to the means for actuatingthe rock shaft. As shown, each shaft carries for each door actuatedthereby a bell-crank shaped lifting arm I'94a pi'votally coupled by alink- 202' to the overlying door I51 for swinging the door to open andclosed positions. This arm maybe provided with a beveled edge 203 toadapt. it to move without resistance through the coal. On the outwardlyextending end of each shaft (it being understood that both shafts aresimilarly connected to their doors and operated in the same manner) is aratchet Wheel 204 adapted to be engaged by a spring-pressed reversibledouble acting feed pawl 205 on an operating arm I99a, similar to armI99, loosely mounted on the shaft and to which may be applied theoperating bar or lever 20I whereby through the pawl and ratchetmechanism described the shaft may be operated to open or close itsdoors. A suitably mounted double acting stop pawl 296 is also providedfor engagement with the ratchet wheel to lock the door in partially openor closed positions. This door operating'means shown in Fig. 11 mayalso, as,

stated with reference to that shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, have its rockshafts suitably coupled together for operation in unison by meansapplied to only one (either) of them.

In Figs. 12 and 13 we have shown another type of operating means foractuating either rock shaft, and a means for coupling the shafts so thatthey may be operated in unison by means of power applied to one of them.The connection of the rock shafts with the doors may be the same as thatshown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, or that shown in Fig. 11. The operatingmeans, however, on the outwardly projecting end of each or either rockshaft I93b comprises a worm gear 201 engaging a worm 208 on an operatingshaft 209 which carries a pulley 2"! about which is trained a loopedoperating chain or'cable 2 whereby the shaft 209 may be turned in eitherdirection to rock the shaft I93b for door opening and closing movementsthrough the worm gearing. Such operating means may be provided for eachoperating rock shaft independently of the other, or a compensatingcoupling'connection between the shafts may be provided comprising an arm2I2 oneach shaft, and a link 2I3 connecting said arms with the arms of acompensating rocker lever 2I4 intermediately mounted on'a suitablesupport, as at 2I5, whereby when either rock shaft is operated by powerthe other rock shaft will be moved therewith.

Instead of employing the operating chain 2 shown in Figs- 12 and 13 ahand wheel 2 I6 may be employed to actuate the worm gearing, as shown inFigs. 14 and 15.

In Figs. 16 andl'l there is shown a door operating mechanism similartothat shown in Fig. 10' or Fig. 11 but employing fluid pressure powermeans for actuating such mechanism. As shown,

the rock shafts I931) of the sets of doors are provided with crank armsI94b, coupled by links 202a to the doors. To one of the shafts is alsoconnected an actuating arm 2I1, which may be integral with one of thearms Hill), and which is coupled by a connecting rod 2I8 to a piston ina power cylinder 2I8. The ends of this cylinder are connected by pipes2I9, acting interchangeably and alternately as fluid pressure supply andexhaust pipes, to a four-way fluid pressure supply and exhaust valve 220having ports for cooperation with the pipes 2I9, a port for coopera,-tion with an exhaust outlet 22I in the valve casing and an inlet portconnected with a supply pipe 222 in which is a lubricator 223. The pipe222 is designed in practice to be connected with the compressed air orsteam systemson the locomotive or tender for supplying air or steam,under control of valve 220, to the cylinder to shift the piston thereinfor door opening and closing actions. The valve 220 is arranged in thegangway end of the tenderso as to be conveniently manipulated by thefireman or an attendant when the doors are to be operated in filling thecoal bunker. The piston may be positively connected by connecting rodsto actuating arms on-both shafts, but in the present instance the pistonis connected by the rod 2I8 to an actuating arm 2 on the shaft I98b andbeing integral with the gear I9'Ib. Motion, however, is simultaneouslytransmitted to the other shaft I93b by means of power transmittingconnections comprising a link rod 224 connecting the arm 2|! to whichthe piston rod 2I8 is connected with one arm of a two-armed motiontransmitting lever 2I9 centrally pivoted, as at 225, on the tender andthe other arm of this lever 2I9 is similarly connected by a link rod 226with an actuating arm similar to arm 2!! on the other rock shaft I98b,whereby the doors or sets of doors connected with the respective shaftsI931) will be simultaneously operated. The arm 2!! provides for the useof an operating bar 20! as in Fig. 10 if desired or required.

In Figs. 18, 19 and 20 we have shown a type of door operating mechanismwhich may be. operated by fluid pressure power means or by hand operatedmeans in the event that, from any cause, the fluid pressure power meansshould become inoperative. The doors in this construction are coupled bycrank and link connections I94b, 2020. to the crank shafts I930 and oneach crank shaft is loosely mounted an actuating arm 22?, the said arms22? being coupled by connecting rods 228 with the outer end of aswinging lever 229 centrally pivoted as at 229' on a power cylinder 239in which operates a piston 23I and which is connected with valved fluidpressure supply and exhaust pipes similar to those shown in Fig, 16 anddesignated by like reference characters. The piston has an X-shaped slot232 receiving and pivotally engaging it with the inner end of the lever229, the inclined walls of which slot act as abutments to transmit dooropening and closing movements to the lever, the swinging movements ofwhich may be limited by step screws 233. On the outer end of each shaftI930 is a second actuating arm 234, which is also loose on the shaft,and pivoted to the associated arm 22'! is a locking lever or latch 235having a forked free end 236 adapted to be swung into and out ofengagement with the arm 234 and to be suitably fastened thereto ifdesired to couple said parts together or to release them from couplingengagement. The shaft I930 has fixed thereto a ratchet wheel 23'! forcoaction with a feed pawl 295 on the arm 234 and a lock pawl 298 similarto the pawls of the ratchet mechanism disclosed in Fig. 11. The arm 234,ratchet wheel 23'! and the pawls provide a ratchet mechanism whereby theshaft I930 may also be actuated by hand power, as by the use of a shakerlever or bar 20I. When the two arms 22'! and 234 are coupled by thelatch 235 the parts of the ratchet mechanism are fixed from motionrelative to the arm 22'! and the proper starting position of the partsof the ratchet mechanism relative to shaft I930 is maintained in theoperation of the doors by the power mechanism, but by releasing thelatch 235 the ratchet mechanism may be actuated to operate the doorsindependent of the power mechanism. By this means in the event that thefluid pressure power mechanism should become inoperative from any causethe latches 235 may be released to uncouple the arms 22?, 234, thusallowing the crank shafts to be manually operated. In lieu of this typeof hand operated mechanism the structures shown in Figs. 12 to 15,inclusive, may be employed. A collar 22'! fixed to shaft I930 holds thearm 22'! in proper relation to arm 234.

A weighted arm similar to arm I95 in Fig. 10 may be used in thestructure shown in Fig. 11 and arranged to travel through an arc equalto that of arm I94a, that is, an arc of approximately 180 instead of anarc of approximately 90 as shown in Fig. 10, and such an arm I95 mayalso be used in the structures shown in Figs. 12 to 20, inclusive.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,the construction of the tender, the fuel doors and the fuel dooractuating means will be readily understood without a further andextended description, and it will be seen that the invention provides atender of a type facilitating the loading of its bunker with fuel andthe operation of the fuel doors for this purpose, the construction ofthe door actuating mechanism being such that the fuel doors may bereadily opened and closed by means accessible from the tender gangway.These advantages are present in the various types of door structures anddoor actuating devices disclosed, and enable the operation of coaling tobe carried out in less time and with less labor on the part of thelocomotive crew or other workmen. While the structures disclosed arepreferred, it will, of course, be understood that these are ofexemplificative character, and that changes in the form, constructionand arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims may bemade without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

What we claim is:

l. A locomotive tender having a top wall provided with fuel inlets onopposite sides of the center thereof, doors for closing said inlets,actuating rock shafts for the doors, means for transmitting positiveactuating motion to one of said shafts, and a compensating link andlever connection between said shaft and the other shaft forsimultaneously transmitting door actuating motion to the latter-namedshaft.

2. A locomotive tender having a top wall provided with a fuel feedopening therein, a door for closing said opening comprising a pair ofpivotally connected folding sections, one of said sections beingpivotally connected to the tender at one side of the opening, anactuating rock shaft mounted on the tender below the level of theopening, an actuating arm on said shaft coupled to the door which ispivotally connected to the tender so as to swing upwardly and downwardlythrough the opening in the opening and closing movements of the door andto lie beneath the door when the latter is in closed position, and meansfor transmitting motion to said shaft.

3. A locomotive tender having a top wall provided with fuel fillinginlets on opposite sides of its longitudinal center, sets of doors forclosing said inlets, door actuating rock shafts disposed beneath thedoors and connected to the doors, a pair of juxtaposed coactingactuating arms loosely mounted on each shaft, one of said arms forming amanually operable actuating arm, a pawl and ratchet connection betweenthe manually operable actuating arm of each pair and its shaft, motormechanism coupled to the other actuating arm of each pair, and lockingmeans for connecting the actuating arms on each shaft with each other ordisconnecting them from each other.

4. In a door actuating means for a locomotive tender fuel inlet, doorsfor closing said inlet, rock shafts connected to the doors, andmechanism for operating the rock shafts and therethrough the doors, saidmechanism including operating means for individually actuating eachshaft, an operating element loose on each shaft, a connection betweenthe operating elements on the respective shafts, and coupling means forconnecting the operating means on each shaft with the operating elementloose on said shaft or disconnecting the same therefrom.

5. In a door actuating means for locomotive tender fuel doors, and incombination with a tender having a fuel inlet in its top, a door forclosing said inlet on each side of the longitudinal center of the inlet,an operating device for independently actuating each door,interconnecting means between said operating devices whereby the doorson each side of the longitudinal center of the inlet may be actuated inunison, and coupling means for connecting each operating device with ordisconnecting it from said interconnecting means.

6. A tender having a front wall provided with a fuel discharge opening,a top wall provided with a fuel inlet, a gangway platform arranged inadvance of the front wall, a hood extension from the top walloverhanging the gangway platform, a door for closing the fuel inlet, anda door opening and closing mechanism supported by the front wall anddisposed beneath the top wall and including operating means disposed soas to be accessible to a person standing on the gangway platform.

'7. A tender having a front wall provided with a fuel discharge opening,a top wall provided with a fuel inlet, a gangway platform arranged inadvance of the front wall, a hood extension from the top walloverhanging the gangway platform, a door for closing the fuel inlet, arock shaft for actuating the door, and a door opening and closingmechanism operatively connected to said shaft and supported by the frontwall and disposed beneath the top wall and including operating meansdisposed so as to be accessible to a person standing on the gangwayplatform.

8. A locomotive tender having an end wall and a top wall, the latterprovided with a fuel filling inlet, a door for closing said inlet, anactuating rock shaft mounted on the tender below the inlet and extendingat one end outward through said end wall, means disposed within thetender and connecting said shaft with the door, fluid pressure operatedmeans coupled to said outwardly projectlng end of the shaft foractuating the shaft, means for rendering said fluid pressure operatedmeans effective or ineffective for action, and means coupled to theoutwardly projecting end of the shaft whereby said shaft may be manuallyoperated.

9. A locomotive tender having an end wall and a top wall, the latterprovided with a fuel inlet opening therein, a door for closing saidinlet, an actuating rock shaft mounted on the tender below the openingand extending at one end outward through said end wall, a rocker armmounted on the shaft within the tender and coupled to the door, anactuating arm connected to the outwardly projecting end of the shaftadapted to receive a shaker lever whereby the shaft may be manuallyoperated, power means connected to the outwardly projecting end of theshaft, and means for rendering said power means effective or ineffectivefor action.

10. In a door actuating means for locomotive tender fuel doors, and incombination with a tender having a gangway platform at an end thereof,an end wall facing the gangway platform, and a top wall, said top wallbeing provided with a fuel inlet therein, doors for closing said inlet,fluid pressure operated mechanism disposed at the gangway end of thetender below the level of the top wall for actuating the doors, saidmechanism including a control element disposed on the outer side of saidend wall and accessible from the gangway platform, means for renderingsaid fluid pressure operated mechanism effective or ineffective foraction, and manually operable means accessible from the gangway platformfor actuating the doors.

WILLIAM L. LENTZ. CARL F. KANTOLA.

